"As Long as I Live" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by

Ted Koehler Ted L. Koehler (July 14, 1894 – January 17, 1973) was an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. Life and career Koehler was born in 1894 in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver, but w ...

, it was written for their last show at the

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

Parade, in 1934. It was introduced by

Avon Long Avon Long (June 18, 1910 – February 15, 1984) was an American Broadway actor and singer. Biography Long was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Frederick Douglass High School, where he was especially influenced by the Latin teacher and ...

and Lena Horne.

Notable recordings

Lew Stone Louis Stone known professionally as Lew Stone (28 June 1898 – 13 February 1969) was a British bandleader and arranger of the British dance band era, and was well known in Britain during the 1930s. He was known as a skillful, innovative a ...

and His Band (vocal:

Al Bowlly Albert Allick Bowlly (7 January 1898 – 17 April 1941) was a Mozambican-born South African– British vocalist and jazz guitarist, who was popular during the 1930s in Britain. He recorded more than 1,000 songs. His most popular songs includ ...

) (1934) *

Red McKenzie William 'Red' McKenzie (October 14, 1899 – February 7, 1948) was an American jazz vocalist and musician who played a comb as an instrument. He played the comb-and-paper by placing paper, sometimes strips from the ''Evening World'', over the ti ...

and Spirit of Rhythm - recorded September 11, 1934 for Decca Records (catalog 302B). * Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, recorded May 14, 1934 for Columbia Records (catalog No.2923D). * Benny Goodman and His Sextet, recorded November 7, 1940, with

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

on piano and

Charlie Christian Charles Henry Christian (July 29, 1916 – March 2, 1942) was an American swing and jazz guitarist. Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar and a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained nat ...

on guitar. This charted briefly in 1941. * Lena Horne - recorded for RCA Victor (catalog No. 20-1626) (1944). * Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1955 for use on his radio show and it was subsequently included in the box set ''The Bing Crosby CBS Radio Recordings (1954-56)'' issued by Mosaic Records (catalog MD7-245) in 2009.

References

External links

lyric
Songs with music by Harold Arlen Pop standards Songs with lyrics by Ted Koehler Lena Horne songs 1933 songs {{Show-tune-stub